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Barcelona could not have asked for a better restart to the La Liga season. The Catalans looked surprisingly sharp in their 4-0 victory over Mallorca and extended their lead at the top of the table to five points, with Real Madrid yet to play its weekend fixture.
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Barcelona's stars seal a comprehensive win with three excellent goals
Barcelona's superstars were ferocious both on and off the ball right from the get-go and were instantly rewarded. Frenkie de Jong won the ball back from former Barcelona prospect Takefusa Kubo and fed the ball to Jordi Alba, whose inch-perfect cross was slammed into the Mallorca's goal by the tenacious Arturo Vidal.
Takefusa Kubo was a constant threat down Barcelona's left flank and created several chances for his side in the first half. Mallorca's resurgence was put to an abrupt end by a massive goal from Martin Braithwaite, who seems to have already forged a relationship with Lionel Messi.
The first fifteen minutes of the second half saw yet another period of Mallorca dominance but Barcelona was quickly able to tire the islanders' legs. Jordi Alba got on the scoresheet after latching on to an exquisite Lionel Messi pass before the Barcelona captain himself scored an excellent goal in stoppage time.
Many of Barcelona's stars seem to have bought into Quique Setien's philosophy and today's player ratings reflect a brilliant performance from the Catalans in their first match after the break.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 7.5/10
Barcelona's goalkeepers have an admittedly difficult role and have to maintain high concentration levels despite a distinct lack of activity in their own penalty area. Marc-Andre ter Stegen was the perfect example of composure and concentration today.
Barcelona's German wall brilliantly flung himself to his right to save a Takefusa Kubo shot in the first half and was very composed and assured in possession.
Gerard Pique - 7/10
Gerard Pique had to go head-to-head against the imposing Ante Budimir today and was very effective against the burly striker. The Catalan center-back marshalled Barcelona's back-line and marked Mallorca's forwards out of the game.
Ronald Araujo - 7/10
Ronald Araujo did not have the best of debuts in a Barcelona shirt in October but will have settled some nerves with a very confident performance today. The 21-year-old Uruguayan was accurate with his passing and got himself out of a few tight spots with some adept technical finesse. Araujo also had an attempt on goal that cannoned off the post in the second half.
Jordi Alba - 8.5/10
If it was not for a certain Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba would have been today's man of the match. Barcelona's speedy left-back started the game with intent and bagged an assist with a measured cross to Arturo Vidal only a minute into the match.
Sergi Roberto - 6.5/10
Sergi Roberto was an effective piece of Barcelona's puzzle in the final third and troubled Mallorca's left-back Sastre Vanrell in the first half. Barcelona's makeshift right-back was caught out of position a few times but recovered well and was rarely troubled in the defensive half of the pitch.
Sergio Busquets - 7/10
Barcelona's best midfielder was taken off after 70 minutes by Quique Setien to keep the veteran in top shape going into the rest of Barcelona's hectic schedule. Sergio Busquets was typically unassuming in the first half and often went unnoticed in the game, barring a few moments of characteristic anticipation and excellent intervention.
Frenkie de Jong - 8/10
Frenkie de Jong was played on the left hand side of midfield today and is starting to come into his own under Quique Setien. The Dutch midfielder was instrumental in Barcelona's opening goal and combined tenacity with excellent ball retention skills to give Barcelona a sense of superiority in midfield.
Arturo Vidal - 8/10
The Chilean started the game in the best possible fashion with an emphatic header to give Barcelona the lead mere minutes after the kick-off. Vidal was an endless source of energy and harried Mallorca's midfielders into making several mistakes on the pitch.
Martin Braithwaite - 8.5/10
Martin Braithwaite will remember this match for the rest of his life. Barcelona's Danish winger was a constant presence in Mallorca's box and his persistence finally paid off in a best possible fashion. Braithwaite unleashed an unstoppable hook into the top corner to score his first goal for Barcelona and was a consistent threat on the left flank.
Lionel Messi - 9/10
We will probably never know whether Lionel Messi intended his bob of the head to assist Martin Braithwaite's goal, but an educated guess based on the modern-day legend abilities would be that he did.
The Barcelona talisman's second assist was as intentional as it gets and a sumptuous lob over Mallorca's back-line gave Barcelona's Argentine forward his 14th assist of the season.
Lionel Messi rounded off his excellent performance with a right-footed finish in stoppage-time to seal an emphatic victory for Barcelona. The 33-year-old legend's brilliant performance in his first match after the break presents ominous signs to the rest of La Liga's teams.
Antoine Griezmann - 5.5/10
Antoine Griezmann was unable to join in on the party and presented a lacklustre display today. The French superstar was played in his preferred central role in Barcelona's first game and while his defensive contributions were excellent as usual, the former Atletico Madrid forward failed to threaten Mallorca's goal.
Griezmann also scuffed an excellent chance to double Barcelona's lead in the first half and was taken off after 57 minutes.
Substitutes
Luis Suarez - 7.5/10
The Uruguayan striker was given more than 30 minutes of playing time on his return from injury and seemed to have a definite spring in his step. Luis Suarez was a nagging presence in the final third and harassed Mallorca's defence into giving the ball away on more than one occasion.
The striker was not able to find the net but his performance showed Quique Setien several signs of promise
Ivan Rakitic - 6.5/10
Ivan Rakitic was brought into the game as a replacement for Arturo Vidal in the second half. The Croatian midfielder had a shaky start to the second half but grew into the game and played some clever passes.
Arthur - 6.5/10
Arthur did not get the time he needed to create the impact that he wanted to but showed glimpses of his best self today. The Brazilian midfielder was an assured presence on the midfield and his metronomic passing allowed Barcelona to recycle possession.
Nelson Semedo - N/A
Junior Firpo - N/A
